Artisan Whimsy 2012 Holiday Sale!

Artisan Cyber Sale ~ The biggest EVER!

Get in on the holiday sales for Cyber week!

The largest Artisan Jewelry Sale ever!

   

Please buy handmade for your gifts 
this year! 

 25% off 
regularly priced jewelry & components at Sharyl's Jewelry!

(Does not apply to "Clearance Sale" items already marked down around 50%)

Use coupon code: AWHOLIDAY

Link to -->  Sharyl's Jewelry on Artfire

In addition to the sale,

I'll have a drawing for this 
Art Deco-inspired necklace and earring set!

Design by Sharyl.   Red stained glass pendants by Very Pretty Things

$40 value

All you need to do is 
leave a comment on my blog 
and I'll enter your name in the drawing.   The winner will be announced here Saturday, Dec. 1st!

All other participants will be offering a giveaway on their blogs and discounts in their online stores.

~Sale and giveaways start on Thanksgiving Day & end on Friday, Nov 30th~

There will be 3 exciting "special giveaways" hidden throughout the participants blog posts...so be sure to visit them all and find them!

...Oh, dear!...
I'm having trouble linking 
to the other participants
...who have many great discounts & give-away items!  
Until I can fix that, please... 
CLICK HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!   

Enjoy a Happy and safe Thanksgiving, 

and have fun shopping 

the Artisan Whimsy holiday event!   

~Sharyl

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Some early gratitude!

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday,...

I've seen some people on Facebook this month listing one thing each day they are grateful for.     While I'm a very grateful person, I haven't tried that.  I fear it would go the route my New Year's resolutions used to go...back when I made them.  About 3 days in, I'd be forgetting what I was supposed to be doing!   Good intentions and all...

But I can tell you that I'm grateful for so many things this year!   

• I'm grateful for my loving family that cares for me when my health fails, supports me in my endeavors, cheers me on in my successes!   
• I'm grateful for wonderful friends, neighbors, and colleagues, who share their knowledge without the worry of competition, who are ready for a chat or a walk or a meal out when I am.   
• I'm exceptionally grateful to have had this blog and you dear participants with me for over a year.   
• And I'm ever so happy to be approaching the one-year anniversary of my online store on Artfire.   Without your help, support, and suggestions (and liking and friending...) that never would have happened!   I'm up to 92 sales and crossing my fingers and hoping I hit 100 before the year is up!   

In order to help some folks out with a handmade holiday bargain...while hopefully meeting my goals, I've just reduced 16 items (including several holiday items) to up to 50% off!   If you are interested, please visit the new "Clearance Sale" section of my Sharyl's Jewelry store on Artfire!

Thanks to you all!  ~Sharyl

P.S.   My copies of the Dec. 2012 issue of "Beads Trends" just arrived, and I'm also grateful that a piece of mine is published there!     Whoo-pie!    :-)

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Graphic Credits:

Fall leaves:  http://www.wpclipart.com/weather/weather_scenes/.cache/fall_leaves.png

Fall tree: http://www.wpclipart.com/plants/leaf/fall_leaves/maple_tree_autumn.png

Thanksgiving scene:  http://www.wpclipart.com/holiday/thanksgiving/scenes/a_thanksgiving_scene.png

Bead Trends Dec cover:  
http://northridgepublishing.com/store/display/bead-trends-december-2012


Pumpkin pie:  http://www.wpclipart.com/food/desserts_snacks/pie/.cache/pumpkin_pie.png

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UK Inspiration Challenge

I began the UK Inspiration by trying to learn a little about each location in the challenge (Dorset, Edinburgh, Bath, Isle of Wight, Liverpool, Southampton). Some I am only familiar with from the works of Jane Austen and other writers.  A few I knew because of my love of traditional Celtic music.  Some I've poured over travel brochures, hoping to get there one day!

(For instance,  I long to see Bath, Somerset, England!)

In trying to learn more about the Isle of Wight, I was immediately inspired by these four photographs of the countryside and the water surrounding it.

Above photos of the Isle of Wight from Wikipedia

I fell in love with the colors!   The shades of green grass on wonderful sloping hillsides, the light tan sand, the variations of blue ocean water, the white stones and red tile roof of the church!   

I was so inspired, I immediately wanted to create something for the Isle of Wight category, and there could be no waiting!  I looked around me for items I could incorporate immediately!   And these must be colors I love because several of the beads were already out on my worktable!    

• I found the color of stone and red tile in the pottery beads of Natalie Pappas.  (Followers of this blog know how much I love Natalie's beads!)

• I found the sand and ocean colors in a brass pendant I had created about a week before.   

• I found sparkly sage green Czech glass crystals, picasso rondelles, and seed beads that reminded me of both the grass on the hillside and the water below it.  

So I've combined them all and come up with this:

And now I must add Isle of Wight to my list of "really hope to see one day" place list!  :-)

I would like to thank Teresa Hulley of BoHulley Beads, a fabulous maker of ceramic beads, for living in the land of the Isle of Wight!  The locations for this challenge were selected based on the homes of the "Artisan Whimsy" UK Team members.   

Please see the hosts and participants of the challenge below and join in the blog hop!

The HostsLesley Watt Gossiping Goddess

Rebecca Anderson Songbeads

Pippa Chandler Pip's Jewellery

Teresa Hulley Bo Hulley Beads

Natalie McKenna Grubbi

Jo Tinley Daisychain Designs

Dorset

Gale White Bantering Bird on Flickr

Ginger Bishop Lilmummylikes

Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini

Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures

Cilla Watkins Tell Your Girlfriends

Sherry Baun

Kay Toodles and Binks

Edinburgh

Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures

Kashmira Patel Sadafulee

Caroline Dewison Blueberribeads

Pam Sears Crazy Creative Corner

Sherry Baun

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Lucy Haslam

Bath

Cynthia Machata  http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Pam Sears Crazy Creative Corner

Sherry Baun

Isle of Wight

Duane Clark Bizzy Bead

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Jean Wright Just Beadey

D Lynne Bowland Islandgirl’s Insights

Lisa Lodge Pine Ridge Treasures

Sherry Baun

Liverpool

Jean A. Wells  http://www.jeanawells.blogspot.com

Shalini Austin   Jewellery by Shalini

Doris Stumpf Glaszwerg

Sherry Baun

Lennis C Windbent

Southampton

Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macramé

Sherry Baun

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design

Sharyl

Sharyl's Jewelry

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Metal Work Ideas for the Holidays

This pendant just added!
Aged Brass Holiday Pendant

I posted a blog entry on "Artisan Whimsy" this morning, "Metal Work Ideas for the Holidays." If you are interested in learning basic metal work techniques and about the tools and supplies needed, you may want to take a look. It's a way to learn basic metal working skills while making winter holiday-themed metal components.  In addition to my own, the post features the work of Heidi Mansfield Kingman  as well as Lisa Liddy!

Then again, if you prefer not to invest in the tools and supplies, you can visit my online store and find them for sale now!  ;-)

This pair just added!

Ivory Brass Snowflake Earring Components

Happy pre-holidays!

Sharyl

P.S. If you haven't joined the new blog, "Artisan Whimsy," this will be a great time to check it out!  

This has grown out of the "Creative Bead Chat" Facebook Group, also known as "CBC."  New informative blog entries on all sorts of jewelry topics and techniques every day!  

Please let me know if either of these indicates you need an invitation to join.  I'll be happy to get you invitation!  

Happy Sharyl's Day Sale!

Happy ___ Day to Me! Help me celebrate! Use code: HAPPY30 ...at checkout to get 30% off your order, 24 hours only! 

Click to get to Sharyl's Jewelry!

Thanks and enjoy your day!

Sharyl